Broken Strings
by livingdust
Summary: What if Finn Hudson had stayed at Prom and danced the night away with Quinn instead of Rachel? This story is about what should have happened that night in the hotel between Puck and Rachel. Spoilers for the Prom and Graduation episodes. *Now completed. Please R
1. Chapter 1

So this story is my opinion of how Prom and the Graduation episodes should have happened. It's all about Puckleberry! Obviously there are spoilers, but my story puts a twist on both episodes.

Disclaimer;

I do not own Glee or else Puck and Rachel would have ended up together- duh!

The song that is italicized is called "Broken Strings" by James Morrison and Nelly Furtado. It served as inspiration, I highly recommend you take a listen.

* * *

_"Let me hold you, for the last time it's the last chance to feel again. But you broke me- now I can't feel anything"_

They sat in silence. Neither one had touched their food because the nausea had made it impossible to have an appetite. Puck knew this day was coming- he just hoped she would have changed her mind before the time came. Rachel wanted nothing more than for Puck to whisk her away to somewhere where they could be together, a place where they didn't need to hide their relationship. A place that offered both of them a future and a chance to achieve their dreams. But of course this is something she only allowed herself to dream about- never say out loud to Noah. Puck placed his hand on hers and it took everything in him not to beg on his knees for her to stay. Rachel glanced at the clock in the tiny diner that was abandoned by everyone once Breadsticks opened across town and realized in just a matter of hours she'd be 600 miles away. Suddenly she felt as if all the wind had be knocked out of her. Puck quickly wrapped his muscular arms around her and held her tightly. Rachel tried her best to hold back her tears, however one managed to escape. Puck gently wiped away her tear and gave her a weak smile. Rachel thought finally this was the moment where he would profess his love and they would live happily ever after. She thought wrong. "Come on let me get you home, your fiancé is probably wondering where you are" said Puck. Rachel knew her fiancé was sleeping soundly. Nothing short of an earthquake could wake Finn Hudson, but she knew if she didn't leave now, she would never get the courage to leave Ohio at all.

So they walked hand in hand through the parking lot and once they reached Puck's pickup truck, Puck held her for what seemed to be an eternity. A few minutes later, Puck pulled in a parking spot a few houses away from her parent's house. He knew he would see her one last time with the rest of the Glee club, but he knew it wouldn't be like this. Puck wanted nothing more than to kiss Rachel Berry goodbye, but the thought of kissing those lips for one last time was too much for him to handle. So Puck leaned over and kissed Rachel on the cheek and whispered "I- umm, I'm gonna really miss you". Rachel looked devastated but replied "me too, Noah. I better get going". And with that Rachel quickly grabbed her purse and exited his truck. She ran until she got in front of her house, but never looked back. Rachel Berry didn't want Noah Puckerman to see the tears that were streaming down her face, however if she would have glanced back in the driver's seat of the beat up old pickup truck she would have seen Noah equally distraught.

_"Running back through the fire, when there's nothing left to save it's like chasing the very last train when it's too late"_

He watched her board the train that would probably separate them forever. She was leaving their shit hole town and he knew there was nothing he could possibly offer her to make her stay. He hadn't said the words out loud to her, but he swore she knew how he felt. Hell he felt that way since the night this whole love affair began- Prom. There were many times he thought about telling her how he felt about her but he knew it wouldn't have a made a difference because the outcome would be the same- her leaving him and marrying Finn. So instead his eyes followed Rachel Berry as she walked past him without the slightest bit of recognition and watched as she kissed her fiancé goodbye, feeling sick to his stomach.

She then boarded her train, sat in her seat, and waved goodbye to their friends and Finn fucking Hudson. For a split second their eyes met and out of impulse he mouthed "I love you" and gestured a heart so she knew she didn't imagine it. He immediately regretted it. She didn't run out of the train into his arms like he desperately hoped would happen. No, instead the tears poured out of her eyes and he felt like the biggest asshole ever. And then she was gone. It took everything in him not to push Finn out of the way and chase the train himself. Unlike Finn he was physically capable of catching up to the train and climbing aboard. He was just that badass. However, he knew there was no point because Rachel Berry had made up her mind- her dreams were bigger than any reality he could ever hope for himself. And to make shit worse what they had obviously meant nothing to her because she still intended on marrying Finn. Noah felt numb. He was sick of being left behind, first by his alcoholic no good dad, then having his beautiful baby girl ripped away from him, and then finally having the love of his life choose her dreams and a man that was not him. Noah Puckerman decided from that moment on he would feel nothing for Rachel Berry. He would push all thoughts of her out of his head and focus on his pool business and all of the hot cougars waiting for him in L.A.

* * *

A/N: the next chapter is longer and is from Rachel's perspective. Oh and we find out what exactly happened on Prom night!


	2. Chapter 2

_"When I love you, it's so untrue- I can't even convince myself. When I'm speaking, it's the voice of someone else"_

Rachel knew the person she should be staring at from her window seat was her fiancé. Key word SHOULD. Instead she found her eyes fixated on the man who had entirely shook up her world. Just as she was going force herself to look at her fiancé, Noah did something she had spent many nights dreaming about. He said "I love you" and she knew he meant it. The heart he made cemented the fact that he had. Right then and there she fell apart. For some reason the thought of leaving Finn wasn't that heart wrenching, after all he was scheduled to join her in a matter of months. But just the idea of being away from Noah made her feel as if her world was crashing down on her. Rachel tried her best to lock eyes with Finn as he ran after her train, but she couldn't help but keep her gaze on the man with the Mohawk who was standing around with his hands in his pockets, looking entirely crushed. She wished it was him running after her train. At that moment Rachel Berry knew she could not marry Finn Hudson. One way or another she would do her best to be reunited with Noah Puckerman- the man she truly loved.

After crying for what seemed like hours, Rachel found herself reminiscing on the night that began it all. Closing her eyes, the memories came swarming back into her mind.

Noah was the first person to accept her invitation to her anti-prom party at the hotel. She couldn't but feel disappointed that her fiancé had chose to attend the Prom with his ex-girlfriend Quinn Fabray. Rachel knew she was being irrational because there was nothing romantic going on between them but jealousy still burned into her soul just thinking about them dancing after being crowned Prom Queen and King. Okay so technically Quinn couldn't dance because of the wheelchair but it still hurt. Quinn was her friend and had almost died driving to her wedding so part of her felt like she had to be eternally grateful for the beautiful blonde and go beyond to keep her happy, but the selfish part of her did not want to share her fiancé with this gorgeous woman. Rachel tried once again to convince Finn to ditch the prom and spend the night with her and their friends but her efforts were unsuccessful. So Rachel Berry did what she did best- she painted on a smile and vowed to have a great night with the few people who decided her company was more worthwhile than attending the McKinley prom. Rachel met up with everyone at Breadsticks. Becky Jackson had decided that she was too cool to spend her night with the "Glee club rejects" and instead went to prom. So Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, and Noah Puckerman were left to celebrate the night together.

As soon as they got into their hotel suite, Blaine and Kurt began making out leaving Puck and Rachel feeling very awkward. Puck leaned over and whispered into Rachel's ear, "wanna show them how it's really done, it's been awhile since I've had you on top of me". Rachel turned ten shades of red. She decided she would change into her prom dress, anything to distract her from the bad boy standing in front of her. He may not be a lot of things, but one thing Rachel could never deny was that Noah Puckerman was the best looking man she's ever seen and the best kisser she's ever had the honor of kissing. The truth is Rachel Berry did not trust herself alone with Noah Puckerman, their chemistry was apparent which left to sexual tension whenever they were just a few feet apart from each other. This is another reason why Rachel felt uneasy with Finn being alone with Quinn. Surely he had to feel this same way around Quinn, any man with a pulse would probably feel sexually attracted to her, the girl was absolutely breathtaking. So Rachel thanked her lucky stars that while she was in the bathroom changing, she had Kurt and Blaine outside the door to keep things from getting complicated. She took her time getting ready; after all she had the whole night ahead of her to resist Noah Puckerman's charm. When there was nothing more she could possibly do to groom herself she allowed herself to join her friends. She opened the door and instantly she felt his eyes on her. He was staring at her with lustful eyes and Rachel was determined to ignore how much his gaze was affecting her. Kurt broke the silence by shouting "Rach, Mercedes just texted me and told me Brittany lifted the ban on hair gel, so what are we all waiting for, let's go join our friends at prom!" Right away Puck spoke "fuck no, prom is for losers, besides I can always go next year we all know I'm not graduating". Rachel could see that Puck was hurt at the thought of getting left back. There was no way she could leave him alone at a time where he clearly needed a friend. "You boys go and enjoy prom for the both of us. There's no reason you shouldn't dance the night away. Kurt you deserve to have a wonderful prom, don't let me be the reason you don't get to experience it". Kurt smiled at Rachel, "if you change your mind, Blaine and I will be happy to come back for you". And with that the two lovebirds left and Rachel suddenly remembered why being alone with Puck was not a good idea.

To put some distance between them she sat on the other side of the table he was currently sitting at. "What's the matter Berry? Afraid I'm gonna bite? Last time I remember you were in to that sort of thing". Rachel quickly got up and pointed her finger towards Puck, "now listen here Puckerman, I did not stay here so that I can be subjected to your completely inappropriate innuendos. I am here strictly as a platonic friend to talk about whatever is troubling you, so I would greatly appreciate it if you showed me just an ounce of respect". Puck got out of his seat, he was furious. That's not why you're here and we both know it. You're here because your fiancé would rather be at prom with someone else. Don't act like you being here is some sort of service to me, you don't give a shit about anyone but you and your dumb as fuck fiancé. So save the motivational speech you have planned in your head because frankly I don't wanna hear it". Rachel did not expect that response, so for the first time in her life she was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry Noah, you're right. I am here because my fiancé would rather be at the prom with someone else, but you're wrong if you think I don't care about you. I've been so busy lately caring about my future that I've completely ignored my friends and everything happening in their lives. Surely you don't mean it when you say you're not graduating, I mean I know you have this bad boy act down but I know for a fact you're a smart boy, you helped tutor me in math, don't think I forgot about that. What happened?" Noah softened his expression and sat down back in his seat. "Fuck Rach, I don't know. I guess I just stopped caring. After your mothe- my bad Shelby, left town again with Beth I just felt like my life was shitty all over again. It gets hard sometimes when you have absolutely no one in your life that gives a shit about you". Rachel walked up to Puck and placed both her hands on his shoulders "Noah I have and will always care about you. I'm sorry for not being there for you, I promise from now on I'm going to be the kind of friend you deserve. Mark my words, you will graduate this year".

Just then Rachel got a text, "excuse me, it's from Kurt". As she read the text she couldn't help but feel completely distraught. Finn and Quinn were Prom King & Queen and Quinn had regained her ability to walk so she would in fact be dancing the night away with her fiancé. Rachel tried her best to keep her composure. Puck walked up to her concerned, "hey is everything okay Rach? You look like someone killed your puppy and then served it to you for dinner". Rachel avoided his eyes, "Finn and Quinn won Prom King and Queen and Quinn can walk again which means she can dance all night with my fiancé". Puck smirked, "so Barbie and Ken won, what a surprise. Look Rachel, I know he's my friend and happens to be the guy you wanna marry but Finn is an asshole. You look fucking beautiful, if I were him I would've came to this room with you, kicked everyone out, and spent the night having my way with you over and over again till you couldn't walk straight". Rachel again was taken aback by Puck's crude but strangely sweet words to her. "Thanks Noah, but you don't have to pretend that I'm some sort of prize. I know if you were Finn you would pick Quinn over me too". Noah went into the duffel bag he brought with him and pulled out something Rachel couldn't quite see, "luckily I'm Puck, not Finn, and in my world I would pick you as my Queen over Quinn any day". He walked over to Rachel and placed a tiara on her head that he had stolen from his sister's room earlier in the day. "You're a Queen Rachel Berry, it's about time someone treated you like one". Before she had any sense to stop herself, Rachel wrapped her arms around Puck and kissed him passionately. Puck responded by looping his arms around her and lifting her on the bed. He recaptured her lips and gently pushed the hair out of her face. Forcing himself to stop things from going any further, he pulled away from Rachel's lips. "Look Rachel, you know I've always wanted you but not like this. Shit I've dreamed about this, you and me- but I know all I'll ever be to you is a mistake. I gotta go". Puck started gathering his things when Rachel stopped him. "Noah please don't leave! Look I won't pretend that I have any idea what any of this means. I'm so tired of mapping out my entire life instead of living it. All I know right now is that I need you, and want you more than I've ever wanted someone. That has to mean something." Puck appeared conflicted, but within seconds he had Rachel in his arms. He kissed her with such passion that she couldn't help but moan into his mouth. Rachel was going crazy. Finn never kissed her like this, she didn't think he was even capable of doing the things Noah was making her feel right now. She began unbuttoning Puck's shirt, when he flipped her over and unzipped her dress. She quickly stepped out of the dress and was about to undo the straps of her stilettos when Puck stopped her. "No leave them on, you look so fucking sexy right now". For most of her teenage life Rachel had been self conscious about her small breasts, however with Noah none of her flaws seemed to matter. Puck unhooked Rachel's bra and placed one breast in his mouth, while palming the other with his hand. He began placing kisses down her torso until he reached the material of her thong. Using his teeth, he quickly pulled the thong down her legs and tossed it aside. Just as he was about to go down on Rachel, the song "faithfully" began playing from the other side of the room. Puck got up and tossed Rachel's cell beside her. Rachel ignored Finn's call but saw she had a voicemail from him. "Hey Rachel, I hope you're having a great time with everyone. I hope you don't mind but I've decided to take Quinn out to eat and then drive her home. See you in the morning!". Rachel shut her cell phone off, she didn't need any more interruptions. Turning to Puck she smiled, "now where were we?"

Several hours later, Rachel finally fell asleep. Puck had kept her up all night, pleasuring her in more ways than she thought humanly possible. Rachel awoke to the sound of knocking on the door. Panic set in as she realized Finn was probably on the other side of the door while the man she just spent the night cheating on him was in bed right beside her. However she noticed Noah was nowhere to be found. As she walked towards the door she saw a note on the table. Rachel quickly tucked it into the pocket of her robe and answered the door. Finn Hudson stood beaming at his fiancé. "Hey baby I missed you!" He quickly gave her a hug and a kiss. Rachel thanked her fathers for all the years of acting lessons they paid for because at that moment she had to channel all the techniques she's ever learned to keep her composure. Rachel invited Finn into the room, "why don't you overlook the breakfast menu and order us some food? I'm going to shower and make myself presentable for you". The minute Rachel got into the bathroom she read the note that was left to her:  
Hey Rachel, last night was fucking incredible. It truly exceeded my wildest dreams. But as much as I wish I could spend the entire night sleeping next to you I realized you have a fiancé that will probably come looking for you and that would fucking suck for the both us.

P.S. I stole your panties, the Puckerone needed something to relive this night again... And again.

Rachel couldn't help but laugh at the note. It was written in typical Puck fashion- thoughtful, but entirely inappropriate. She folded the note and placed it back in the pocket of her robe. Rachel knew she should feel remorseful, but she couldn't feel the slightest bit guilty. Maybe because being with Puck felt so right that it couldn't possibly be wrong. Of course she knew what she did was unforgivable. But Rachel didn't want to have that talk with Finn now, that could wait until at least lunch time.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Oh it tears me up I try to hold on, but it hurts too much. I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay"_

Puck shut his cell phone off the minute Rachel's train disappeared from sight. He didn't have the energy to be rejected any further and knowing Rachel she probably had a speech planned out that would let him down easy. Puck honestly did not intend on telling Rachel he loved her. He knew all it would do is complicate things further, and when you're busy screwing your best friend's fiancé- shits already fucking complicated. Doing his best to avoid the other glee club members, Puck quickly waved goodbye at everyone and sprinted to his truck. Speeding the entire way home, he tried to remember how shit got this way.

After prom night, Puck had no idea how Rachel would react towards him. Part of him hoped she would feel the same strange way he did, but the biggest part of him was petrified she'd pull a Quinn and regret their night together. Luckily Rachel Berry was unlike Quinn Fabray.

Rachel showed up at his doorstep that night with her bookbag on wheels (seriously who else would have a bag like this other than Berry?). He quickly took her upstairs to her room and closed the door behind them. "So I'm assuming you want round 2- rather round 7 with the Puckster?" Rachel smiled and quickly shook her head no. "While last night was amazing Noah, I am here because I made a promise to you. I told you that I was going to make sure you graduate, and I intend on keeping my promise". Puck walked up to Rachel and gave her a hug (he wanted to give her so much more than a hug, but even a stud like him knows his limits). "Rachel no one has ever made an effort to help me like this. But I'm afraid I'll just be a waste of time, you shouldn't spend your time on a fuck up like me. You'll be here for hours before I understand any of this geography shit". Rachel smiled at him, "then I guess it's going to be a long night again because I'm not leaving until you master geography".

Rachel kept her word. At 3am Puck finally was able to locate virtually every continent, country, capital, ocean, river, basically every fucking name written on a map. Rachel yawned, "I guess I should get going, I'll see you tomorrow Noah". Puck grabbed her and pulled her next to him on his bed. "You're not going anywhere Berry. You have two choices and neither involves leaving this room. Choice one, I'll be a gentleman and let you sleep here while I sleep on my sofa. Choice two- we both sleep here on my bed and I'll show you what going south of the equator really means".

Puck got out of his truck and entered his home. Quickly climbing the stairs and entering his room he felt completely drained. Everything about his room reminded him of Rachel. After the night of prom, Rachel took him up on option two, and continued to do so every day until she left him for NY. It wasn't even the sex that connected them. Rachel Berry actually cared about him. She helped him with his music, school; keeping his room tidy- anything she could do to help his life not suck. All the while they never mentioned her fiancé by his name. They couldn't spend as much time together as he wished they could, but he cherished any time she spent away from the man she should be spending her whole time with. Puck cared about Finn Hudson, and hated what they were doing behind his back- but he just loved Rachel so much more that the bad outweighed the good in this situation. However none of this mattered now, Rachel was gone so he should stop being a pussy and move forward with his life.

Puck quickly gathered whatever mismatched luggage he could find and began packing only the things he knew he couldn't live without- which in his case wasn't much. Puck needed just some clothes, his guitar, his savings from his pool cleaning business, and hygiene products. Just as he was about to shut the door to his room, he saw the picture of them on his desk. It was taken at Breadsticks, just a few hours before their night at the hotel began. He quickly placed it in his pocket, grabbed the keys to his car and said goodbye to his life as a resident of Lima, Ohio.

_"Oh the truth hurts and lies worse. How can I give anymore? When I love you a little less than before"  
_  
Rachel knew she should have told Finn the truth the morning he came into her hotel room. But telling Finn Hudson that she slept with his best friend Noah Puckerman meant that her life as she knew it would never be the same again. Rachel wasn't stupid. She knew Noah wasn't the kind of boy that wanted to settle with someone straight out of high school. Finn on the other hand was willing to promise her a future. She also knew Finn Hudson would never forgive her and she wasn't ready to lose his love just yet. The way Rachel saw it, if Noah Puckerman truly wanted to be with her, he would have said so. Sure he acted it, but she needed a verbal validation to know that what he felt for her wasn't only physical. Deep down Rachel knew her love for Finn Hudson wasn't the kind of love that was for the forever type. She knew most of her feelings for him were a result of a high school girl fantasy. Finn was the guy every guy wanted to be and the guy all the girls wanted to be with. She made the changes necessary to make sure he would want to be with her. Noah on the other hand seemed to accept her for who she was- crazy, determined, talented and all. The choice was obvious on who she should be with. But for the first time in her life Rachel was a coward and was afraid of what choosing Noah Puckerman would mean for her future.

Rachel glanced at her cell phone and saw she had a new message. Her heart skipped a beat while she unlocked her phone, but quickly was disappointed when she saw who it was from. It was from Finn Hudson and said "I love you and miss you already". She didn't respond and decided the person she wanted to text was Noah. Rachel thought about what she wanted to say for a long time but decided for once she would keep it short and simple. "I love you too Noah and I promise you I'll find a way for us to be together. And you know I keep my promises."

Rachel Berry checked her phone every minute eager to read Noah's response. However after two hours of no response, Rachel decided maybe his phone battery had died and decided she should nap- after all she still had a long ride ahead of her.


	4. Chapter 4

"_You can't play on broken strings. You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel; I can't tell something that ain't real"_

Puck knew his destination would not be an easy place to drive to. But he hoped it would be worth it in the long run. Hell, leaving Ohio itself was worth the hundreds of miles he had ahead of him. Puck decided he would drive as far as he could without taking a break. Then he would stay at some shitty motel and continue his drive until he got there. It was very tempting not to turn his cell phone on, but he knew if Rachel texted him, it would make it more difficult for him to focus. So instead Puck blasted some classic rock from the speakers of his crappy truck and continued on his trek.

Rachel knew something was wrong when she arrived at New York and saw she didn't have a response from Noah. She decided she would call Kurt to make sure he didn't get into some sort of horrific car accident or worse- arrested. Kurt answered after the second ring.

"Hey Rachel! How is New York? Is it fabulous? Did you run into Sarah Jessica Parker? Wait no did you get discovered on your way to your hotel? No better yet-"  
"KURT! Will you please just listen to me for a second? New York is great but I really need to ask you an important question".  
Kurt huffed into the phone, "well if you're asking if your fiancé beat the crap out of your lover boy Puck and sent him into the emergency room that would be a no. Finn still hasn't the slightest clue, poor boy".

Rachel was shocked. "Wait how do you know about that? I mean what are you talking about?"  
Kurt responded, "Berry, from the moment I left that hotel room I knew what would happen between you guys. The fact that Finn didn't realize you two were together when he saw me and Blaine arrive at prom is beyond me. But anyways I don't think the rest of the club has figured it out". Rachel felt embarrassed and ashamed, "Kurt I never intended for this to happen. I'll explain everything at another time but I need you to find out if Noah is okay"  
Kurt took a deep breath, "Rachel I would never judge you, you don't need to explain anything to me. Frankly your life is more entertaining to watch than Days of Our Lives so I should be thanking you. I'll call you back once I locate your piece of hot ass".

Kurt hung up and Rachel decided she should just head towards her hotel. It was hot and she felt completely disgusting from being on the train for so many hours. After a long, hot shower Kurt finally called her back.  
"I am sorry to inform you Rachel, but it seems the bad boy we all love has seemed to have left town. Finn said he mentioned something about going to L.A., I am so sorry".  
Rachel tried her best to choke back the tears, "It's okay Kurt, I should have expected this. Thank you for your help, I'll be in touch soon".  
Rachel hung up the phone and decided she would leave as many voicemails on Noah's cell that AT&T would allow her. She wasn't giving up without a fight.

Forty-eight messages later, Rachel realized she hadn't eaten in hours and was starving. She called for room service and continued to leave Noah voicemails. Once her food arrived, Rachel figured it was best to stop calling Noah and eat her dinner. After she ate her food she decided to call Finn Hudson. After all he was technically her fiancé and he had a right to know how her trip went. Oh yeah and he had a right to know she was sleeping with his best friend and didn't want to marry him.

He picked up after the first ring,  
"Hey Rachel I was starting to worry about you. I thought some crazy hobo was holding you hostage". Rachel cleared her throat, "oh no I'm sorry Finn I should have called sooner, the trip just left me exhausted".

Finn replied "it's okay, now that I know you're alive how about you take a nap and call me later?".

Rachel knew she needed to stop with the charade, "look Finn there's something I need to tell you but I don't think it's fair to do so over the phone, can we Skype?"

Finn replied, "umm sure, but right now? I'm kinda doing a number 2".

Rachel responded, "Eww Finn! No of course not right now then. How about you finish up what you're doing and Skype me once you're done". Finn agreed and Rachel quickly began using the breathing techniques she learned from her years of singing training to avoid hyperventilating.

Just then she got a call on Skype from Finn. She quickly accepted and braced herself for what was to come.  
Finn: Hey Rach, everything okay?

Rachel: No Finn, everything isn't okay. Please don't say anything until I finish saying everything I have to tell you.

Finn: Okay. Wait sorry for saying okay, should I just nod? I'm so confused.

Rachel: Let me ask you a question Finn, do you remember last year when you kissed Quinn and told me you felt fireworks?

Finn: Yeah… wait did someone tell you I kissed Quinn? Rachel I swear we're just friends, there's nothing going on between me and Quinn!

Rachel: I know Finn, I'm aware you're just friends. But don't you think the person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with should give you fireworks every time you kiss them?

Finn: Umm Rachel now I'm really confused. Okay so Quinn and I have a connection, so what? The reason I'm marrying you has nothing to do with kissing! I'm marrying you because of the person you are, not cause of how your kiss makes me feel.

Rachel: That's the thing Finn, can you honestly say you love the person I am, or the person I've become loving you?

Finn: Aren't you both the same people?

Rachel: When you first joined the Glee club, you told me you would check your bed at night to make sure I wasn't under it. My personality scared you away. It wasn't until I started acting less "crazy" that you actually wanted to be with me. And every time Santana would insult me, you would never defend me!

Finn: I thought we got past this, Rachel all of that was so long ago, why are you bringing this up now?

Rachel: I'm sorry if it seems I'm attacking you, it's truly not my intention. I just wonder, were we ever supposed to be together? What if you being with Quinn was supposed to be the natural order of things? What if Noah and I never broke up in the first place?

Finn: Wait so this is all about you and Puck isn't it? I knew it! I thought I was just being paranoid because of what happened between him and Quinn but I was right! Oh God I feel sick. Is this why you wanted to wait until the wedding to have sex again? Because you were having sex with him? I feel so stupid!

Rachel: I'm so sorry Finn, I never meant to you hurt you—

Finn: Wanna know something Rachel? On prom night Quinn told me I could stay over her house and you would never have to find out. But I turned her down! Instead I came to your hotel room to be with you!

Rachel: After you had already spent the whole night being with her! Don't you get it? It's always come down to me and her and in the end you always pick her! You only wanted to be with me because she cheated on you with Puck, but once you got over that you went right back to her.

Finn: No you don't get to do that. You don't get to blame me for this! I was nothing but a good fiancé to you and this is what I get? When did it begin Rachel?

Rachel: What difference does it make?

Finn: I have a right to know when my fiancé began sleeping with my best friend, the man who was going to be my best man!

Rachel: Prom—but it wasn't something we planned, it just happened!

Finn: So you mean to tell me that you were able to smile in my face after you had just spent the night with him?

Rachel: I wanted to tell you Finn! It wasn't easy for me to lie, I am so sorry I wish I would have told you sooner.

Finn: So instead of wishing it never happened in the first place, you just wish you would have told me sooner meaning you don't regret cheating on me.

Rachel: It's not that I enjoy hurting you, but if it didn't happen I would never know that he's the man I truly love. I love you Finn but I'm not in love with you

Finn: And you think he loves you? He's probably banged about 10 cougars already in L.A. You know what, you both deserve each other. I'm glad you told me, thank you Rachel for making sure I didn't make the mistake of marrying a whore. *Skype disconnected

Rachel was sobbing. She knew what she did was wrong, and she knew Finn would be upset- she just wasn't expecting their conversation to turn so incredibly terrible. She tried her best not to let Finn's words get to her. She knew Puck loved her but the fact that he hadn't returned any of her calls or messages was starting to make her feel uneasy. Rachel wanted to believe Puck wouldn't sleep with any other woman, but history has shown her that whenever Puck is hurt, he uses sex as an outlet to deal with his emotions. Feeling utterly helpless in her mission to speak to Puck, Rachel figured she would watch whatever sad love story her hotel offered on demand and would order as much dessert room service had to offer.

Puck was getting near his destination and he was beginning to feel anxious. This place was already better than Lima. The women were great looking and scantily clad, and there were a variety of restaurants that ensured he could feast on something different every night. There's nothing Puck enjoyed more than sex and food, which he preferred to incorporate them on more than one occasion. He took out a piece of paper where he had sloppily written the address of where he planned to spend the night. Tomorrow he would begin looking for a place of his own_- _and a job.

* * *

Rachel heard knocking and grabbed her wallet and a tissue because even though she had seen The Notebook a million times, she could never contain herself from bawling. Opening the door, she was left standing face to face with not the room service man who had become a frequent visitor to her room, but the one and only Noah Puckerman.


	5. Chapter 5

"_it's the last time to feel again"_

Puck did not expect to see Rachel Berry looking like a hot mess when she finally opened the door. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her hair was a mess, and she seemed to have snot dripping down her face. However, that was his hot mess and he was thrilled to be standing in front of her. Rachel invited him into the room and closed the door behind them.

Rachel spoke softly. "Noah, what are you doing here? Finn told me you were in L.A. I left you sixty two voicemails as of an hour ago, did you listen to any of them?'

Puck replied, "No baby I didn't listen to them. I didn't have the balls to listen to you reject me. The truth is I planned on going to L.A. Hell I was packed and ready to go. But then I saw this" Puck handed her the photo of them, "and I knew there was no way in hell I was going to get over you, even if I was over 1,000 miles away. I know you're engaged to Finn, and after I say what I have to, I'll leave you alone forever. But I need you to hear me out"

Rachel tried to speak but was quickly interrupted by Puck. "Rachel please just listen. That night at the hotel I told you that you deserve to be treated like a queen and I still mean what I said. Now I know I have nothing to offer you. But if you promise me you'll give us a chance, I will do everything in my power to give you the life you deserve".

Puck reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had just purchased from the jewelry section of K-Mart. Grabbing Rachel's hand he looked into her eyes.

"I know this ring isn't as nice as the one Finn gave you, fuck I don't think it's even cubic zirconia, but it's a symbol of the promise I just made to you. We're both eighteen, we still have the rest of our lives ahead of us and I know you have a shitload of goals you want to accomplish so don't think of this as me proposing marriage to you. Don't get me wrong, I hope one day I can make you Mrs. Puckerman, but only when the time is right and I'm able to afford Barbra to sing at our wedding".

Rachel smiled at him and allowed him to place the ring on the finger that only hours earlier had housed the diamond ring Finn gave to her. Puck looked at her sheepishly, "so is that a yes? Will you be my girlfriend?"

Rachel jumped on him and wrapped her legs around him. "I thought you would never ask!"

An hour later after they had thoroughly reacquainted themselves with each other's naked bodies, Puck was the first to speak. "Rachel, I hate to be a buzz kill, but we need to tell Finn. I'm sick of the lies already".

Rachel rolled over and faced him, "well if you would have let me speak instead of interrupting, you would know that Finn Hudson is aware of our situation and that I'm completely in love with you". Puck looked surprised, "Wait, what do you mean you're completely in love with me?"

Rachel sighed, "Didn't you read my text message where I said I love you too?" Puck shook his head no, "fuck Rachel I would have jumped on that train with you if I knew you felt the same way as me. Then this" Puck motioned between them, "would have happened a lot sooner".

Rachel smiled, "The only thing that matters right now is that we're together and we no longer have to hide it from the rest of the world. I'm proud to call you my boyfriend Noah"

Puck leaned over and kissed her, "and I'm proud to call you my queen Rachel"

* * *

_5 years later_

As Rachel walked down the aisle, she kept her eyes locked on the handsome man standing at the alter. After all this time he still managed to take her breath away. Gone was the ridiculous Mohawk she had spent months convincing him to get rid of. Sporting a rather tame haircut from the rebel he once was, Noah Puckerman was still the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. When she got to the front of the alter she took her place. She had no doubts that she would someday make a beautiful bride, but right now all eyes were on Quinn Fabray as she slowly walked down the alter, looking like a gorgeous princess straight out of a Disney book fairy tale.

Rachel Berry was ecstatic for her best friend, and couldn't be any happier to be her maid of honor. She smiled at Quinn as the blonde handed her the bouquet of white lilies she had in her hands. It was soon time for the bride and groom to exchange their vows. Finn Hudson held hands with his bride to be and looked into her eyes and stated:

"Quinn Fabray, I still remember the first time we kissed. The only way I could describe it as was fireworks exploding in my head and heart. I thought maybe I felt that way because you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen- let alone kiss- and that spark would fade out after I had gotten comfortable with you. But here's the thing, I'm still not completely comfortable with you. You keep me on my toes, you make me feel alive, when I kiss you I still feel fireworks. Marrying you doesn't feel like settling down- it feels more like awakening my soul to a level where I think I might actually be floating. You are the only woman to ever make me feel this way. Quinn, you're my soulmate and I promise to spend the rest of our lives cherishing you, loving you, and making sure we never lose our spark"

Rachel Berry was crying tears of happiness for her friends. She truly believed Finn and Quinn were fated, even their names rhymed, you don't get any more perfect than that! Quinn's vows were just as moving as Finn's and looking around there wasn't a single dry eye in attendance.

Noah Puckerman felt proud to be Finn's best man. It was mind boggling to think about how only a few years ago, he was scheduled to be his best man for a completely different wedding, with Finn marrying a different bride- Puck's current girlfriend. It was something straight out of one of those sappy romance novels his girlfriend loved to read. Puck placed his hand in his pocket and smiled when he felt the small box in his fingers. Tonight was going to be a memorable one to say the least.

The wedding was beautiful. Everyone had flown out to Aruba for Finn and Quinn's beach wedding. The reception was held at the Marriott resort on the island which both Rachel and Puck were grateful for because it meant they only had to travel a short distance to get to their room.

Once they got in front of penthouse suite, Puck opened the door slowly and allowed Rachel to enter the room first. All around were rose petals and candles. On the bed was a giant star made out of yellow rose petals. As Rachel glanced around the room looking completely in awe, Puck knelt down on one knee in front of her. Rachel looked at Puck and through tears yelled "if this is some sort of prank I'm going to castrate you Noah Puckerman!"

Puck grabbed Rachel's hands and looked her in the eyes:

"Rachel, I contemplated for awhile now, about a place where I felt would be special enough to ask you the most important question I'll ever have to ask you. And while I considered asking you on stage after your show Wicked was finished for the night in front of hundreds of people, I realized that while that may seem like the most glamorous option, it wasn't the most sentimental. The truth is Rachel, every life changing event of ours has happened in a hotel room. The night that we first made love happened in a hotel room in Ohio. The night that you accepted my promise ring and became my girlfriend was in New York. So what better way to ask you to be my wife than in a penthouse hotel room here in Aruba?"

Just then Puck pulled out a light blue box and opened it to reveal the massive princess cut diamond ring he had purchased at Tiffany's a few weeks before. Grabbing Rachel's left hand he continued speaking,

"I made a promise to you years ago, and like you Rachel I keep my promises. It wasn't an easy road by any means getting here, but you stuck by my side when I was struggling to make ends meet. When I was giving guitar lessons to all those brats on the Upper East Side during the day, and waiting tables by night. I have no doubt in my mind that you helped me become the man I am today. Having success means nothing if you don't have someone in your life who constantly pushes you to be the best person you could possibly be while loving you with every fiber of their being. Rachel, I love you more than anything, you are my best friend and the love of my life. Will you please give me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Rachel through her tears yelled out "YES!" and allowed Puck to place the giant diamond ring on her finger.

Puck opened the bottle of champagne he had per-ordered and poured two glasses for him and his soon to be wife. Before they took a sip, Rachel decided she wanted to toast to them:

"Noah, thank you for proving to me that sometimes reality can be so much better than the dreams you convince yourself into following. Loving you was unexpected, but I'm so happy I followed my heart, because I can honestly say I know what true love feels like. What we have isn't forced, loving you comes naturally to me. Thank you for allowing my star to shine and always accepting me for me. Here's to us and the journey that still lies ahead"

Tapping their glasses together, they took a swig and smiled at each other. Puck looked at Rachel, "now can I finally rip that dress off of you? You look too fucking sexy to be wearing anything right now"

* * *

A/N: And there you have it folks! I hoped you enjoyed my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm a huge fan of Puckleberry and still believe they are the best couple that came from Glee. Thank you for everyone who took the time to read my story, subscribe to it, and to the few that actually reviewed, you guys are amazing!


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